Inside

The Intel Core i5-9400 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER delivers a highly playable experience in Inside, a 2016 Puzzle Platformer. The data shows this combination sits at rank 2827 out of 3716 tested combos, placing it in the lower-middle tier of the database, yet the measured frame rates tell a story of smooth performance across most settings and resolutions. This analysis breaks down how the system scales with resolution, what the GPU contributes, and which settings offer the best balance of visual quality and fluidity.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear trend: performance scales predictably as resolution increases, but the margin between the lowest and highest settings becomes more pronounced at 4K. At 1080p, the system is clearly CPU-bound or at least not GPU-limited, as even the most demanding Ultra preset achieves 134 FPS, while Low hits 222 FPS. The jump from High to Ultra at 1080p is only a 7 FPS drop (141 to 134), indicating that the GPU has ample headroom at this resolution.

Moving to 1440p, the GPU starts to take on more responsibility. The High preset drops to 101 FPS, a 40 FPS reduction from 1080p High, and Ultra falls to 96 FPS. This 5 FPS gap between High and Ultra at 1440p is tighter than the 7 FPS gap at 1080p, suggesting the GPU is beginning to become the limiting factor. Low settings at 1440p still produce 199 FPS, which is excellent for high-refresh-rate monitors.

At 4K, the data shows a dramatic shift. High settings drop to 63 FPS, and Ultra falls to 60 FPS — a mere 3 FPS difference that indicates the GPU is almost fully saturated. Medium settings at 4K provide 102 FPS, which is a significant jump from High's 63 FPS. This suggests that the transition from Medium to High at 4K carries a heavy cost, likely due to specific visual effects that tax the TU106 chip. Low settings at 4K produce 127 FPS, which is still very playable, but the gap between Low and Medium (25 FPS) is smaller than the gap between Medium and High (39 FPS).

The scaling pattern indicates that at 1080p and 1440p, the Core i5-9400's six cores are sufficient to feed the RTX 2060 SUPER, but at 4K, the GPU's 7.181 TFLOPS of FP32 compute becomes the bottleneck. The data shows a 50% FPS drop from 1080p High to 4K High (141 to 63), which is consistent with a GPU-bound scenario where pixel count quadruples. The 1440p to 4K drop is less severe (101 to 63, a 38% reduction), which suggests that the CPU is still contributing at 1440p but cedes full control to the GPU at 4K.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER is built on the Turing architecture with a TU106 chip, featuring 2176 shading units, 136 texture mapping units, and 64 ROPs. Its memory configuration is substantial: 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus, delivering 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The clocks are set at a base of 1470 MHz and a boost of 1650 MHz, which is modest compared to later cards but sufficient for a game like Inside that was released in 2016, three years before this GPU's 2019 launch.

The GPU's memory capacity and bandwidth are not stressed by this title. At 4K Ultra, the game only requires enough VRAM to hold textures and geometry, and 8 GB is more than adequate for a puzzle platformer with a 2D side-scrolling perspective. The 448.0 GB/s bandwidth is also overkill for the measured frame rates, as even at 4K Low (127 FPS), the GPU is not bandwidth-limited. Instead, the data suggests that the limiting factor at 4K High and Ultra is the raw shader throughput and pixel fill rate, which are rated at 7.181 TFLOPS FP32 and 105.6 GPixel/s respectively.

The GPU's benchmark scores place it in the 62nd percentile of all GPUs, with an average score of 18093. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile (avgScore 18159, deltaPct -0.4) and the AMD Radeon Pro 5700 (avgScore 18189, deltaPct -0.5). These deltas are within 0.5% of the RTX 2060 SUPER, meaning that in synthetic benchmarks, the performance is nearly identical. However, in Inside, the measured FPS shows that this GPU is more than capable of driving high frame rates, and the bottleneck shifts to resolution rather than architectural efficiency.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the Medium preset offers the best balance of visual quality and performance across all three resolutions. At 1080p Medium, the system achieves 205 FPS with a minimum of 174 FPS, which is above the refresh rate of most high-end monitors. At 1440p Medium, it produces 162 FPS with a minimum of 137 FPS, still comfortably above 120 FPS for smoother motion. At 4K Medium, it hits 102 FPS with a minimum of 86 FPS, which is playable on a 60Hz display and even on some 100Hz panels.

The High preset is a viable alternative for those who prioritize visual fidelity. At 1080p High, it delivers 141 FPS, which is still smooth. At 1440p High, it drops to 101 FPS, which is borderline for 120Hz displays. At 4K High, it falls to 63 FPS, which is just above the 60 FPS threshold but not ideal for variable refresh rate monitors that dip below 60. The Ultra preset is only recommended for 1080p (134 FPS) and 1440p (96 FPS) users with 60Hz panels, as the visual gains over High are minimal but the FPS cost is measurable.

For 4K users, the data strongly suggests using Medium settings. The jump from Medium (102 FPS) to High (63 FPS) is a 39 FPS loss, which is a 38% reduction in frame rate. This indicates that High and Ultra share similar rendering paths that disproportionately tax the GPU at 4K. Low settings at 4K produce 127 FPS, but this preset likely disables many visual effects that define Inside's atmospheric presentation. The sweet spot is Medium, which retains enough visual quality while maintaining a minimum of 86 FPS.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank of 2827 out of 3716 places this system in the 76th percentile of all tested combinations, meaning roughly 76% of combos rank higher. This is a lower-mid-tier ranking, which is surprising given the actual FPS numbers. The discrepancy arises because the database includes more powerful modern CPUs and GPUs, such as the RTX 30-series and newer Core i7/i9 processors, which push the rank down. However, for the specific game Inside, the measured FPS shows that this combo is far from inadequate.

The CPU's percentile ranking is 47th among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 2254. Its nearest rivals are closely matched: the Intel Core i7-1068NG7 (deltaPct -0.2) and the Intel Core i3-10305 (deltaPct -0.4) are within 0.4% in average score. The GPU's percentile is 62nd, with an average score of 18093, and its nearest rivals include the RTX 3060 Mobile (deltaPct -0.4) and the AMD Radeon RX 460 (deltaPct -1.5). These synthetic benchmarks indicate that the CPU is a slight weak point relative to the GPU, but in Inside, the CPU rarely becomes the bottleneck except at 1080p Low, where it hits 222 FPS.

The combo rank being relatively low is not a reflection of poor in-game performance. It is a consequence of the database including many high-end combos. The measured data shows that this system can handle Inside at 4K Medium with a 102 FPS average, which is better than most budget systems. For a player with a 1080p or 1440p monitor, this combo is more than sufficient, and even at 4K, it offers playable frame rates on Medium settings.

FAQ

*Q: Can this combo run Inside at 4K 60 FPS?*

A: Yes, but only on Medium settings. The measured data shows 102 FPS average at 4K Medium with a minimum of 86 FPS. At High settings, the average drops to 63 FPS, which is just above 60 FPS but may dip below on occasion.

Q: What is the best preset for a 1440p monitor?

A: Medium is recommended, delivering 162 FPS average with a minimum of 137 FPS. High is also viable at 101 FPS, but Ultra drops to 96 FPS, which is a smaller margin than the step from High to Medium.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck at 1080p?

A: At 1080p Low, the system hits 222 FPS, which suggests the CPU is the limiting factor. At 1080p Ultra, it drops to 134 FPS, indicating the GPU is now doing more work, but the CPU still has headroom. The data suggests the CPU is not a significant bottleneck at 1080p.

Q: How does the RTX 2060 SUPER compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RTX 2060 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 18093, which is 0.4% lower than the RTX 3060 Mobile (18159) and 0.5% lower than the AMD Radeon Pro 5700 (18189). The performance difference is negligible.

Q: What is the minimum FPS at 4K Medium?

A: The measured minimum FPS at 4K Medium is 86 FPS, with a maximum of 117 FPS. This ensures a smooth experience on standard 60Hz displays and most 100Hz panels.

Q: Should I use Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: Ultra at 1080p produces 134 FPS average, which is only 7 FPS lower than High (141 FPS). If visual fidelity is a priority, Ultra is acceptable, but High offers nearly the same frame rate with less GPU load.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the data shows a clear hierarchy: Low produces 222 FPS, Medium 205 FPS (minimum 174, maximum 235), High 141 FPS, and Ultra 134 FPS. The gap between Low and Medium is 17 FPS, while the gap between Medium and High is 64 FPS, indicating a significant visual effect cost. The step from High to Ultra is only 7 FPS, making Ultra a marginal upgrade.

At 2560x1440, the numbers are: Low 199 FPS, Medium 162 FPS (minimum 137, maximum 186), High 101 FPS, and Ultra 96 FPS. The drop from Medium to High is 61 FPS, which is a 38% reduction. The gap between High and Ultra narrows to 5 FPS, suggesting that Ultra adds little over High at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the data shows: Low 127 FPS, Medium 102 FPS (minimum 86, maximum 117), High 63 FPS, and Ultra 60 FPS. The drop from Medium to High is 39 FPS, a 38% reduction, which is consistent with the 1440p pattern. The gap between High and Ultra is only 3 FPS, indicating that Ultra is essentially identical to High in performance cost.

The overall pattern across resolutions is that Medium offers the best performance-to-quality ratio, while High and Ultra are costly at 1440p and 4K. The system is capable of exceeding 60 FPS at 4K only on Medium, and it excels at 1080p where even Ultra stays above 130 FPS. For a puzzle platformer with limited motion complexity, these frame rates are more than sufficient for a responsive experience.